Paul's Dream

Touching Fire #1

by Rowan McBride

Paul Graham is content with his life. An up-and-coming lawyer, he has no time to dwell on the mazes, puzzles, and riddles he solves while asleep. He has no interest in dreams, or anything that might derail his career.

Until Kian shows up. Sensual, playful, he claims that Paul rescued him four years ago. Now he's determined to repay him with the one thing he knows sex laced with ... magic.

Kian is unlike any man Paul has encountered. He won’t go away, for one. The fact that Paul doesn’t remember him doesn’t deter his mission of seduction in the least. But soon enough, Paul finds that this strange, carnal creature has the ability to melt his ice with a touch, to bring out a sweetness Paul didn’t even know he had.

As Kian becomes a part of his life, Paul finds himself more and more attached. Forgotten dreams, buried memories, and the dangerous obsession of another conspire to tear them apart. Is he strong enough to endure a trial by fire in order to keep them together?

M/M (involves anal play, penetration)

Genres: M M Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, Magic, Demons, Contemporary

198 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2007

About the author

Born an Air Force dependent, Rowan McBride traveled the world and totally missed the 80’s as most Americans know it. In exchange, xe’s gotten to walk in clogs, break an arm at Mt. Fuji, and say prayers at a Korean Buddhist temple. So far it seems like a fair trade. Although xe graduated from high school in Hawaii, xe didn’t learn to hula and make leis until going to college in Iowa. After leaving the Midwest, xe moved to Washington, DC and very nearly got xemself a Juris Doctor degree. Now xe’s chilling out in Texas, diabolically planning road trips that could span years.

People say xyr life is random, and that’s probably true. Rowan comforts xemself with the working theory that a random life makes for good stories. When that doesn’t work, there’s Pocky. Lots and lots of Pocky.

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an engaging story that hooked me right from the beginning...

Kian is an incubus. He has been captured by an evil wizard and kept chained in a dungeon for years. One evening, while he is sleeping, a man comes to rescue him. Paul is clinical and exact and has almost no emotion when he speaks. When Paul tries to free Kian from his chains, Kian is worried he might hurt him, but Paul frees him, then leaves. When Kian wakes up, he is actually free! He decides to go in search of the man who rescued him...

Paul is an attorney for a huge firm, and he is very successful. He is so methodical and so thorough, that clients ask for him by name to work on their cases. One day when he leaves work, Kian is waiting for him. Paul thinks Kian looks familiar, but cant place him...

Kian is shocked for two reasons. One, Paul isnt sexually affected by him, even though he is an incubus, and Two, Paul doesnt realize he is a Dream Walker, and that he saved Kian. Kian decides to help Paul remember, and the two of them embark on a passionate journey of magical discovery.

When that same evil wizard returns with the idea of capturing Kian once again, will Paul be able to save the man he loves?

This story is awesome!! Its full of magic and interesting characters. I know this is the first book in a series, and I cant wait for the next one to come out. It is interesting to watch Paul start out so "internal" and open up and become more loving and caring. Its also romantic to see Kian, an incubus known for his sexual prowess, fall so completely for one human being. If you like romance, magic, and a little mystery, Im sure you will enjoy this book!

[Bubbles Hunty Honest & Direct Opinions · Rating 4 out of 5]

the first half of this book was about a 2.5 star for me but then the last half 4 stars. I thought Paul was boring for the first half and i just didn't like Kian. The only character i liked was Asher so i kept reading for those glimpses of him.

Then the second half stuff actually started happening and I found myself liking Paul more as he got more interesting and even liked Kian mostly. Asher was still great and I really liked how they dealt with the fushion situation.

I really Hope Asher gets his own book since he was the only character i loved through the whole book

[Experiment BL626 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book. I thought at the least I could enjoy the smutty parts, but the kooky dream scenes got in the way.

+ the dream scenes
The plot had many dream scenes. Some of them I liked such as when Paul helped a little girl find her stuffed animal, but most of them I found frustrating and boring. I didn’t like how long it took for someone to say to Paul, “hey, dude, you’re a dreamwalker, and magic is real.” I really hate it when the protagonist is kept in the dark about their abilities and the reality of the world. I hate it more when there is no strong reason to do so like in this book.

When Paul finally was told so, I didn’t like it when Paul actively practiced dreamwalking and Kian helped, sex and sexually charged talking were involved. I found it inappropriate and unhelpful because Paul had powerful magic and it shouldn’t have been treated as a light matter. People could get hurt, Paul could hurt himself, and he did. Magic training and sexy times should not be mixed.

+ the world building
Paul is a powerful dreamwalker. I understood the abilities of a dreamwalker and why Paul was important, but I didn’t understand what role dreamwalkers play in the magical world. I had no problem imagining the lawyer-y non-magical setting, but the magical world eluded my grasp. The book threw details here and there, but nothing stuck and connected to make decent world building. I found the world building ambiguous.

+ the characters
The story was largely told from Kian and Paul's sides in 1st person POV. I couldn't connect with either character. I tired of Paul's indecisiveness, i.e. “I want Kian, I don't want Kian”, “Kian loves me, Kian loves me not.” Kian was rather pathetic and spineless; I expected more out of Kian when Asher confronted him, especially when it’s a serious matter of true love. I found the characterization of the couple shaky for a big part of the book, specifically the middle. Moreover, the couple’s dialogue was cheesy; usually, I don’t mind cheesiness, but frustrated by the couple, I did. The romance ran hot and cold too many times for my patience, and honestly, I wasn’t fully convinced the two suited each other.

+ my least favorite part of the story
I was frustrated by the many missed opportunities to preemptively end the villain. It could have been entirely avoided if Kian killed the dude in the first place at the beginning of the book, or near the end of the book if Kian went to Asher for help before meeting the villain. Kian knew full well was that the villain was never going to let things rest; the villain was a villain for goodness sake.

I also blamed Asher because if he had done his job as guardian of the city he would have known what the villain was up to and squashed his evil scheme before anyone got hurt. Most of the scenes Asher was in or mentioned in, there was a lot of talk about how powerful he was, how smart he was, his legacy, his position, blah blah etc. I couldn’t believe the villain managed to pull off his evil scheme off of Asher’s radar. There was no excuse for it.

+ my 2nd least favorite part of the story
After so much shit had happened with the villain, I couldn’t believe the romance ran cold again. Really, Paul? The fuck is wrong with you? It’s not everyday someone risked, admittedly in an avoidable conflict, his life for you, loves you, and came back from a soul-breaking-and-imprisonment evil magic for you. Where was the logic? This was one of the examples of the shaky characterization; logical lawyer Paul was not acting logical and lawyer-y.

In Conclusion

I rate Paul’s Dream 2-stars for it was okay. I’m disappointed by many issues that stood in the way of what should have been a decent smutty read since the story was a sexual awakening.

[Nikyta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must say that the beginning didn't interest me all that much. I mean, I really liked Paul, others might say he was boring but I liked his coldness, but I absolutely hated Kian. I didn't like him because I felt like he was playing a game with Paul and using him for the sole reason that Paul never got tired no matter how much Kian feed off his sexual energy and because I felt that way, it ruined my enjoyment of the first half of the book.

However, as the story progressed, I started feeling as if what Kian was saying and feeling was actually true and not some misguided 'you'll never be drained so I love you' emotion. He definitely warmed up to me in the end to the point that I'm actually giving this a good rating. Lol. Paul and Asher were my favorites, though. Paul because he was naive of his dream walker power and his lack of emotions. Asher because, well, he's just an automatically lovable character.

The storyline was a great one, though. It drags in a few places but it was interesting to learn about the world created with incubi, wizards, dream walkers, and ciphers. When things started to shake up with a foe from Kian's past is when I basically became glued to my kindle screen. I loved the details to the dreams Paul walked in and how he unintentionally helped people.

All in all, it was a good book. If you can get past the couple of slow parts (and stick through hating Kian, if you do) then you'll like this one.

[SueM · Rating 4 out of 5]

I probably wouldn't have picked up this book, if hadn't been for the bingo challenge category - well that, and the strong reviews it had from my friends! As it turns out, I was right to trust my friends as I really enjoyed this novel.

Paul is a lawyer, cold and unfeeling, but ruthlessly efficient. He doesn't know that he is a dream walker, who, whilst dreaming, solves puzzles and mazes when no-one else cares or can. All he knows, as he doesn't remember details, is that he has no dreams of his own - and his dreams always force him to solve the puzzle before he can awaken.

It is in one of these dreams, that he finds Kian, and sets him free. Kian, an incubus, takes 4 years to both gather strength and then find Paul, the man to whom he owes his freedom. He is an old incubus, whose mere presence can cause a crowd of humans to orgasm, yet he fails to arouse Paul. And of course, this drives him to both succeed and to uncover the cause. And so, with Kian's advent in his life, Paul discovers there is a lot more to the world than he thought, particularly when he finds out those around, and about his own hidden powers.

I admit, quite often incubus stories don't do a lot for me, as they seem to be merely an excuse for frequent graphic sex scenes and not a whole lot of story. Yet this novel, while it does indeed have sex scenes, most, if not all, were pertinent to the story, as the barriers between Paul and Kian fall during this time, and more is revealed about them. I also liked that both characters grow and deepen with each step of the story, and each uncovered new things about themselves and the other. There are no real dull points with pacing pretty even throughout. The cast of secondary characters were also interesting, and in fact, I would not be at all surprised to read another story concerning two of them! And yeah, I am much more likely to pick up that story now, after reading this one. 4.5 stars.

[Vivian ♪(┌・。・)┌ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I addoreeddd this book so much.

This book has a rather raunchy-seeming premise to it. I mean honestly, an incubus. They're creatures of sex, there has to be raunchiness here somewhere.

Not only that, the first half or so is deceptively fluffy -though not overly so, thankfully. It introduces the cliche ice meets fire, passionate and playful man meets cold, suit-donned corporate shark or some such or another.

But what I really enjoyed about the fire-to-ice concept was how to was executed. From the beginning, you can immediately tell Paul is the "cold" type. But he doesn't seem typically so. In fact, there is a sense of wrongness about it, as if any personality or emotion is locked up. And that is what kind of intrigued me.

Kian is very much adorable. Sexy, loyal and also strangely childlike at times.

Anyway, the second half is actually where the story earned it's five stars, and it perked up quite a lot. I don't want to sound like I'm getting into the whole writing jargon thing, but when the complication was introduced (what other word can I use?!?), I thought it was very typical but also still enjoyable. After that point however, it got a lot more interesting...

I really love the whole concept of a Dream walker/ Cipher, how they were described, and their abilities in the world Rowan has created.

Not only that, Paul's Dream features what I've come to think of as the Rowan McBride Trademark. I don't even know what to call it. Muscle growth? Or is it just plain growth in general. All I know is it's kind weird to read, but not off-putting. Just weird. And intriguing of course.

This book is a really sweet, endearing and also surprisingly emotional read. It really hits you in all the right places, and hits you well. I do recommend it, especially as a comfort read. (you would think I have a horrible life, with the amount of comfort reads I do.)

[Emanuela ~plastic duck~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is magical in its content and in its atmosphere.

What I liked:

* The main characters had their own voices. Kian is an incubus and he's really a seducer, but he's always so refined, incredibly classy. The words he uses are carefully chosen and they are sweet and arousing at the same time. I mean, he can really pay a compliment! Paul, on the other hand, is colder and his voice is the rational voice of a lawyer. Their behaviour is always in character and when they are together their different personalities mingle into something new, but they never lose their individuality.

* The world of magic. It's never really explained, it's only suggested, but we can fully enjoy it without being interrupted with notions or lengthy explanations.

* It's really romantic and emotional. You can't help feeling Paul's detachment from life and Kian's attempt to bring down Paul's inner walls. It's a beautiful journey.

What I didn't like:

* I can't tell for sure. There were times I felt the story was kind of stuck. It had an interesting prologue, during which Paul struck me as really nice and courageous. In the first part of the book, though, his cold attitude was difficult to endure. I know it had to be that way, that was the point, but still he seemed a bit ... dumb. I think that's always the problem for characters on the receiving end of a love interest. Anyway, the end was incredibly moving.

This is a book I would highly recommend to the readers who look for an emotional connection between the protagonists and a well written history that takes you to another dimension.

[Unapologetic_Bookaholic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul's Dream had a surprising mix of elements that came together to express a well written paranomal m/m romance. With wizards, incubi, and other magical creatures this very well could have turned into any other story in the hands of a less capable author. Though I have never read
Rowan Mcbride it is obvious she has a rare talent. To be able to make you care for her characters as they care for each other.

Paul is a lawyer. Being a bit cliqued: saying he is wealthy, wears nice suits, and has a frosty emotional thermometer.

Kian is an incubus that sees Paul as a challenge well worth the pursuit. He wants to make Paul burn for him.

The chemistry that develops between Kian and Paul was such a treat to read. From the moment these two share a page you could see the sparks arching between them.

I loved reading the exchanges between Zakai and Kian. Between Kian and Asher. Between Asher and Zakai!

Kian was so sure of himself as an incubus but wary when it came to being
around Paul, when he developed feelings he was unfamiliar with. It really was exciting to see an author create a complex, likable character. Not just once but over and over again.

I don't think I have needed there to be a HEA ending more. Than for Paul and Kian.

[Juxian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I probably wouldn't read this book if it were by any other author. I don't like urban fantasy and have never had a slightest interest in incubi. But it was Rowan McBride, so I just went ahead and read it -and enjoyed it quite a lot. It was very nicely written, interesting and emotional, with very likable main characters and a lot of obstacles to overwhelm before they could reach their HEA. I think if you like the genre, it'll be a wonderful read for you.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my second Rowan McBride book and it won't be my last. In this book Kian is an incubus that gets imprisoned by a wizard. Paul is a special kind of dream walker (but doesn't know it) and he saves Kian. Now it's four years later and Kian has found Paul to give his thanks.

This book was interesting. It made me remember why I really like pnr so much! McBride has a different take on so classic kind of pnr types. And as I said after reading Lone, there are so many characters in this book that I would LOVE to find out more about! As a matter of fact, and after checking the author's site, I am happy to know that there is another book in this series in progress!

[Runell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was incredibly different from anything I've ever read, but I enjoyed it immensely. Paul and Kian were just so wonderful and I want more of them.

[Hal Evergreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Although some aspects of this short novel didn't quite work for me, I was very intrigued by the fantasy elements and I really liked the characters. I expected a book featuring an incubus as a main character to have a lot of sex in it, and I was right, but I wouldn't classify it as erotica. The romance between Kian and Paul is surprisingly sweet and satisfying. Both men are endearing, and the development of their love for each other is believable, if slightly rushed. It was gratifying to watch the carnal and self-assured Kian fall in love (an unprecedented feat for an incubus), and to watch the detached and almost robotic Paul thaw into a sweet and earnest man.

My biggest problem with this novel was that none of the scenes involving Paul's profession as an attorney felt realistic to me. If contract disputes could be resolved instantaneously just by spouting statutes, as occurs during one scene in this book, then the world wouldn't need contract lawyers. This might sound like a minor nitpick, but it made it harder for me to take Paul seriously. It's not enough to tell your reader, "my character is really good at (insert skill or profession here)." You have to prove it, and the author didn't prove to me that Paul is a capable attorney.

On the plus side, the fantasy worldbuilding in this novel is rather interesting, especially the descriptions of Paul's dreams. I actually would have liked to learn more about the world and its rules of magic. I also liked several of the secondary characters, so I plan to read the next book in the series when it releases.

[Serena Yates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing! This story, the setting and world it creates, the characters and the storyline have left me totally breathless. The emotions, romance and love that develop between Paul and Kian are deep and utterly consuming.

Paul is a very troubled individual. His gift has left him emotionally scarred when he was nine, and he has never recovered. He cannot feel anything, but he is honorable and helps others when they need his help. His gift as a dreamwalker is one I haven't seen used in many books, and the way it is described and made use of in this story is new and unique. Combine that with his ability to reason like a lawyer and he is a force to be reckoned with. It took me a while to warm up to him, which I am sure is entirely intentional, as he is not an easy man to understand.

Kian is an incubus who isn't supposed to focus on one human being to the exclusion of others. And yet, that is exactly what happens once Paul frees him from a dangerous enemy. I loved how he slowly fell for Paul, without realizing what was going on. He understands that he is dedicated to Paul 'in some strange way', but he still can't figure it out. The feeling is just too far outside his frame of reference. Once he does though, there is no stopping him.

If you like engaging heroes, an evil villain who strikes unexpectedly, and a bit of magic with your stories, in a setting that is otherwise completely contemporary, I'm pretty sure you'll love this book.

[Mandy*reads obsessively* · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cool story!
I had trouble getting into it, since Paul is hard to understand, especially in the beginning and Kian takes a bit of getting used to, but once it got going I couldn't put it down.
The story as it enfolded was interesting and had enough twists and turns to keep me interested, I could almost picture Paul in the maze, trying to find his way to Kian and solve the riddles.
I would love a story with Asher, and I could see Zakai giving him a run for his money!

[Jan VL · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. The only reason why it wasn't a 5 star story for me is because I found the ending a little bit too sappy. The rest of the book was all badass and hot. I do understand why the author would need to make it end like that but some of the dialogue could've been different in my opinion. Overall a good read =)

[Janean · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started this book I thought I was going to hate it. It was so disjointed and cold – like Paul. Then Kian happened and whoa baby, talk about fire. This book made me laugh and cry. I was an emotional wreck, I literally cried through the last half of the book. I am glad I read it though.

[Snowtulip · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm one of the rare ones that didn't enjoy this book. I didn't feel any connection with either of the main characters and the story started to pick up too far in the book for me.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 STARS

[Elisa Rolle]

Paul is a dream walker, he is able to enter other people's dreams and help them. He can change the real world through the dream. And so he helps Kian, an incubus helds captive by a wizard. But after he disappears and Kian is eager to find him again.

When Kian manages to find Paul, he is puzzled: unlikely every other human who is sexually aroused standing near him, Paul seems to be not affetcted. But when Kian touches Paul, all the sexually energy he has always denied, spring free. Paul helps and cares of people during dreams, but in real life he takes the others far away from him. He fears attachments and considers himself not worthy of love.

Kian is a thousend years old incubus but he has never really loved noone. He is warm and friendly and easy to be hurt, cause he lifts no barrier between him and Paul. Both Kian then Paul are "virgin" in matter of loving and grew together in this new feeling. Even if Kian is an incubus and usually this means a lot of sex, in Paul's Dream sex is not the main argument, the fear of loving someone else and the journey to accept this fact is far more important than sex.

The first long story I read by Rowan McBride and a very good one. Her fantasy is, as always, fresh and enthralling, the plot is complex and she manages to make me cry at one point (you have to read the story to know what point).

http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/16...

[Rissa (an M/M kinda Girl!!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmmm, what can I say about this book. It was interesting....something not at all the norm for me. From Dream Walkers to Incubi to Wizards, they are all things I've never read about before.

I try not to read reviews until after I've read the book because I don't want to read an accidental spoiler or to have someone else's opinions sitting in the front of my mind while i'm trying to enjoy a book. I think the story itself was pretty good. I enjoyed reading Paul's waking hours as much as his dreams. I was surprised to see not many people liked Kian at the beginning because I actually liked him from the start. I loved how he spoke, maybe not what he said per se but he always spoke with love & gratitude. He's just the thing to warm Paul up!

Crossing my fingers we'll get to see more of Asher in the future!

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit I was a bit skeptical when I read the blurb but I am a challenge stickler so I went with it. I am really glad I did. It was great to watch Kian grow into realizing he was in love and Paul's journey to accepting who he is was very well done. Granted, they are guys so about half the time I just wanted to smack them upside the head and tell them to talk to each other. So, I was expecting a PWP incubus story and I got a good paranormal plot. =) 4 stars.

[Ayanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written. The balance between the different elements is very nice. The characterization was interesting and not at all contrived.

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not going to finish this one, which probably has more to do with personal preference than it being a bad book. I just... don't really like the whole incubus thing and how it's used in this book? It dives into dub-con territory straight off the bat — the kind where Kian (the incubus) expects every 'no' to be turned into a 'yes' because of his powers. And that's what happens, sure, but that also makes me question of how much of a 'yes' it really is? Consent is handled very loosely in this book, where being magically influenced by an incubus is seen as someone having consented. And that's not what consent is. That's someone being influenced to make a decision they wouldn't otherwise make. I don't care if it's 'what the character wants deep down' because they still don't consciously consent and was influenced by an outside force to make the decision in question.

This wasn't helped at all by the fact that Paul — who was otherwise very firm and composed — started stuttering when Kian made advances and touched him, to the point where he seemed worryingly... well, young and vulnerable. That might get better the further you get, but it made me pretty uncomfortable, either way.

In the end, this just wasn't for me. I totally understand those who might enjoy it, but I'm a little too sensitive to the consent issue to want to read this to the end. So this is a no from me.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Stars

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Sunnykimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I'm starting to let go of logically and rationally reviewing these books. I like the paranormal. I like queer love stories. I think it's always going to be a match made in heaven for me.

I loved this. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of weighted plot this book contained. The world building was interesting and I was invested in the characters. If this was a series I would read it. My only complaint that isn't even really a complaint, but more of an observation is that I think that for a book where half the main couple is an incubus it really didn't contain enough explicit sex. I wanted to be annoyed by the amount of sex this book contained between the main couple given that earth shattering sex is incubi's whole deal and I was not. It was pretty chaste all things considered. But again that's barely a complaint.

[F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book for Bingo because it was short - it must have been my lucky day! The story was engaging and I finished it in one sitting. Pulled into a world of incubi, dreamwalkers, wizards and demons. I loved Kian , enjoyed watching him and Paul find their true selves. I only wish there was a sequel - a book about Asher and Zakai, I would love to know more about these two.
4.5 stars (4 for GR)

[L.E.Olteano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on Kan 4 2013 at Butterfly-o-Meter Books

Fluttering Thoughts:

World Building: Awesome mix of contemporary and magic elements, we're talking 'creatures' such as incubi, wizards, dream walkers. Awesome stuff.
Characters: Paul was what I call a solid character, he had motives that were clear and made sense considering his past, his actions and reactions were believable and very real. I loved him, both his personality and the way he evolved. Kian was fun, playful yet had this sense of timelessness about him, he felt like a thousand years old but living in today's world and he also made great sense to me, no out of character moments. Their chemistry was lovely, intense but not only based on physical attraction - there was a healthy emotional component to their relationship and I went "Awww!" a lot without find it overly sweet or too good to be true. Great relationship, intense one on one though not graphic (by my standards).
Asher and Zakai were really awesome (and I want to read their story now!), and I really liked the nature of the villain here without liking him (which is rare), but I felt he was a good antagonist.
Plot: The romance arc was touching, lovely and evolved in the slow burn type, even after the main couple actually got together. The outside-of-romance line of action was as interesting as the romance, and had me fully invested in what went on. I liked the story, I liked its rhythm and the way it was resolved.
Writing: Third person narrative, it had a lovely tone, sort of a literary-like beauty but without being purple prose in any way. The characters had distinct voices, more visible in the Paul/Kian dialogue sequences but also when it included Zakai and/or Asher. (I'm dying to read their story, did I meantion that?)
Curb Appeal: Compulsive buy material, real, real awesome cover, blurb hooked me. Have to say, when I first saw the cover up on NetGalley my thoughts were 'I saw this somewhere, somehow, I wanted to read this and didn't get to' so I requested it immediately. Real glad I did xD

All in all, this was a great read, beautiful character development, entertaining world and engaging action, sweet romance laced with passion, beautiful writing and an all-around delightful read. It was one of those close calls to a 5 butterflies, but in the end my enthusiasm wasn't on the delirious level, more on the just maddeningly delighted, hence I stuck with the 4. A really, really good 4. I highly recommend it.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Touching fire, finding love

A good book with a really fascinating romance between a dream walker and an incubus.

Kian is an incubus and in this world incubi are rather powerful. They gain their power fromthe sexual energy and use it to fill their own body, but can also use it on others, either to heal or to harm. Kian gets trapped by a greedy wizard who steals all of b is power for years until Paul saves him in a dream. Kian sets out to thank Paul, though the man doesn't seem to know his own power.

Paul is an up and coming attorney at a law firm. He is excellent at his job, knows the ins and outs of every case he is on, seeing it as a puzzle to solve which he can always do. At night he dreams more puzzles which he solves. It turns out he is a cipher dream walker, very powerful, but he has hidden this knowledge from himself. He is very cold and finds emotions confusing, so when Kian approaches him with fire and passion he retreats out of care for the other man. But if Kian can ignite his own passion Paul's world will forever change.

Kian and Paul were fascinating together. Paul doesn't come across as emotionless, but when he is with Kian it becomes clear how much he has to fake. With Kian Paul's emotions come out naturally, which confuses him. It comes to be a mystery, something that happened as a child changing a loving caring boy into an adult who helps but keeps his distance. As Kian wakes Paul we see him become a more passionate person and it helps his work even while it changes his approach. As Kian is more with Paul it opens him up to new feelings. Incubi are seen as the quintessential flits, incapable of love, moving from one person to the next. The more Kian desires to stay with Paul the more tremors it causes in the supernatural world, and it really tests the relationship the two have.

This was a fascinating book with a wonderful romance that had to work through the same relationship issues even as it dealt with a major paranormal difference. I would have really enjoyed if we got a bit more background on the world and its different types of creatures, but enjoyed the story we got regardless.

[armored-pug · Rating 3 out of 5]

In whole, I liked this books core and theme of Paul being a dream walked and I particularly liked the was Paul's 'dreams' were described. I liked Paul's character as well, his lack of emotion in the beginning and the gradual change from cold to warm again. Also, Kian was somebody I found endearing and sweet, innocent despite his age. Kian's friend, yep, liked that one too. Liked his fierceness and ferociousness. I even liked the villain.

The person I didn't like, one wee bit, was Ashton. Now, there are a couple of things I want to say on the topic of Ashton, but the first one would be that he wasn't unbearable, just a person this story could have done without.
I normally have an attraction to powerful characters, but not to those like Ashton. If we had met his father, I think I would've liked him more than Ashton.
For me, Ashton was too taken with himself when he displayed his power. He threatened, but his presence was not the one of threat and I had a feeling, throughout the book, that he was overcompensating for not being threatening by showing off and with characters that are supposed to be powerful, that's not a good thing. Power is not something you can describe with words, as Ashton does. I do not see his power and I do not see him as powerful, more annoying. Zakai, for me, had a lot more power to his words than Ashton did.
I just didn't like him.

Another thing I didn't like was how Paul easily accepted Ashton to be who he is. Just didn't sit well with me.

Other than that, this was a fun little read, laughed at some parts, loved some parts(the parts where Kian and Paul interact, the most amazing parts of the book), cheered for Zakai to take a two by four and whack Ashton a good one in some parts and totally cringed in a few parts(two or three times, nothing major).
Three stars because it's not bad and it's not good, just somewhere in the middle, a book I can see reading when I have nothing else to read.